Kabir describes the human body as a house in which the owner finds no peace because the inmates are always at daggers drawn with each other. The inmates are his five sons (the five senses), and his wife (the evil tendencies and cravings of the mind). Each sense pulls the soul in a different direction, seeking different forms of gratification; and the wife, the wild desires of the mind, pulls the soul towards various objects in the world. Kabir says that the person who controls the five senses and overcomes his mind brings peace in the home of the body and attains true realization — the object of human birth.

Within the house, O friend,
There is a great conflict.
Five sons and one woman,
Ever at variance with each other.
Quarrel night and day.
Each demands food of a different kind;
Each one, more than the other,
Craves savory dishes.
Not one listens to the others,
Each is intent on gratifying
His own vile desires.
One who bridles the willful lady
Of evil inclinations,
Who disciplines the five wayward sons,
Who settles the dispute
And brings peace in his home,
Such a one, O Kabir,
Is dear to my heart.

Bijak, Shabd 3
Santo ghar men jhagrā bhāri